We will see Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers on the court before you know it.
On Wednesday, the NCAA announced that the start dates for both men and women’s basketball for the 2020-21 season is set for Nov. 25.
“The new season start date near the Thanksgiving holiday provides the optimal opportunity to successfully launch the basketball season,” NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt said. “It is a grand compromise of sorts and a unified approach that focuses on the health and safety of student-athletes competing towards the 2021 Division I basketball championships.”
Over the past couple of weeks, discussions had centered around waiting until the Nov. 21-25 range to begin the season. Gavitt said last week on a webinar with athletic directors and other college sports officials that Nov. 25 was under consideration because campuses around the country will be ending their fall semesters.
“By Thanksgiving week, the date of Nov. 25, 76% of all Division I schools will have either finished their fall semester completely or released the general student body for in-person instruction,” Gavitt said on the webinar.
That means that Auburn basketball will likely have its home opener just days before the 2020 Iron Bowl which will take place in Tuscaloosa.